Making A Choice You Can Live With
by xXPlayedByLifeXx
Summary: After S 1,Max escaped again but didn't risk going back to Seattle - and is on the run with the only one left with her. One year later it all comes down to one thing: Making a choice you can live with for the rest of your life! Better than it sounds!
1. 1 Prologue Part 1

Ok, so this is my first DA fanfic, so be nice. I'm an absolute fan of this series. This is after the first season, some things from Season 2 will happen, but differently. There's gonna be Max and Alec, but Logan's gonna come into the picture soon enough too. My language might not always be the best, I'm german and so I apologize for my future mistakes already ;)... Please REVIEW and be kind... If you review there'll be another update soon...

**SUMMARY:** _After Season 1,Max escaped again but didn't risk going back to Seattle-and 's on the run with the only one left with year later it all comes down to one thing:Making a choice you can live with for the rest of your life!_

**Max and Alec escaped together from Manticore and are on the run for one year already. They have created some kind of bond, but their both pasts are still standing between them. Alec has a secret and Max didn't tell anything about the life she lead in Seattle or about Logan. But when their way leads them to Vancouver and forces them to Seattle the problems begin and Max is forced to face what she had tried to forget.**

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Making A Choice You Can Live With - Chapter 1 - Haunting Memories

So it was one of these nights again. Max was looking over the never-ending forest in front of her, the mountains and the lakes in between. She loved heights. How anybody could be afraid of them she didn't understand. It was like she felt more normal looking down at all the people, with all their worries and mistakes, her own seemed not that big if she stood somewhere up very high long enough. It was like an addiction, just like a good one.

It hadn't been that bad in the last year through, it had been different from what she was used to, but she was somehow nearly happy. Something she hadn't expected to happen – ever.

She remembered the day she had escaped from Manticore, or better the new Manticore facility, for the second time and how everything she had wanted was to get back to Seattle and Logan as quickly as somehow possible. She didn't though, and by now she was kind of glad about it.

Max sighed when she reminded one time more of why she hadn't gone back to Logan, to Seattle, to her friends. They had told her she had this thing, virus or whatsoever, and as soon as she would get near Logan he'd die. They tried to break her with such things. These things had been way more effective than anything she had to endure while they tried to break her will down.

So when she had managed to escape once again she didn't go back to Seattle, knowing Eyes Only would somehow find her coincidently. She didn't know if they had been honest, if she was really a threat to Logan's life from now on. But she couldn't risk it, could she?

_And going back and trying to build a new life without contacting any of my friends doesn't work for me. __Besides, how could I lead a normal life with knowing Logan's around the next street block and if we ran in each other I just have to avoid coming anywhere near him, because he could die. No, it's easier this way, he thinks I'm dead and I try to… just not think about it._

From the pictures they showed me he's moved on with this short cut blonde. To be true I kind of moved on too, just that I never really will. I'll admit, I kind of enjoy this new kind of life. Normal just never really worked for me, now I know it's because I'm just not normal. How can you lead a normal life if there is some government chasing you at all costs?

_Right, you can't. I've been naïve, just like they said. __Means they were right about at least one thing, guess they never fail to surprise._

Max looked backwards over her shoulder to the far away camp-fire. There he was; the guy her life now revolved around. He helped her escape, he was like her. He reminded her of her lost brother Zack – and of Ben, although she just realized that some months ago.

She smiled softly when he looked up at her and searched her glance. He knew there was something up with her, but he didn't ask. She highly appreciated that. She knew there was something up with him too, something dark buried in his past, but she didn't asked questions and he didn't. That was the unspoken deal. Everything was easier this way and they understood each other perfectly well.

He looked down in the fire again and Max couldn't help but think that she was lucky to have him and this new life. They were still on the run from the government, but it felt more like real life, less hiding and more freedom. Although it was just an illusion and they weren't free at all, she felt more free than ever.

She turned her back on the beautiful landscape in front of her and went back to her mate/friend/brother/former breeding partner. She went back to Alec like she always did the last year.

Still, while putting on her smile, she couldn't help but wish for what she thought she once had; a normal life with Logan and Original Cindy and all the other idiots she loved.


	2. 2 Problogue Part 2

Ok, here's my second chapter. I called this and the first one prologue, because it's more of that than a real chapter you know. Just to explain a little bit what happened during the last year. Hope you like it.

Enjoy reading and please review. Reviews make me very happy and when I'm happy I write more.

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Making A Choice You Can Live With – Chap 2

"So tomorrow we're heading for Edmonton and then further to Vancouver, right?" Alec asked when Max sat down silently next to him. She could tell it was an attempt to make conversation, to keep her from her "dark thoughts/memories" how he called them. He always did sweet stuff like this, trying to distract her discreetly, but she never fell for it. When he started to get into his moods he didn't let her distract him either so she was not letting him do it for her.

"Yeah, that's the plan I guess. Can't really stay here any longer, it was too skimpy this time. They nearly had us."

"Chill Max, they always nearly get us. But in the end the only thing that matters is that they DON'T have us."

"Don't tell me to chill, Alec." Max said coldly and gloomy, her past was getting the better of her once again. She knew it, but couldn't suppress it. "You weren't in the whole escaping thing from the beginning and I know that. I still don't know why you decided to come with me, what made you change your mind, but I won't go back there. So you better take this seriously or I'll be leaving tomorrow alone, you can wait here for them to get you back. But I rather kill myself than going back there."

Max sighed and stood up, she knew she was being unfair; Alec left with her and had helped her ever since then. He became her friend and she didn't know herself why she was snapping at him like that.

The time she had spent at Manticore, the months when they tried to brainwash her again and tortured her, had left marks on Max' soul. She had met some of her old brothers, those who stayed behind when Max and the other kids flew all those years ago. They hadn't been friendly, they had hated her. For escaping and leaving them behind to live with the consequences. Max had still nightmares about what they had told her.

They had blamed her for the new rules and precautions the people in Manticore came up with. The leash had been even shorter than before and every little mistake had been punished even worse. All these kids had to endure too much because of the escape of twelve kids. They had put Max on a guilt trip – successfully.

But it hadn't stopped her from making plans for another escape. She had wanted back to Logan, back into the world. However, she still had a bad conscience because of what the other X5s must suffer through because of her latest escape.

She had planned her escape from her first day out of Psy-Ops, but when Alec had first found out he had laughed at her for being stupid enough to try to escape a second time. He had been her not-so beloved breeding partner and when he had vanished for a few weeks Max had been happy about more time to prepare her escape. Then, the night she wanted to escape, he had just shown up and told her he wanted to escape with her or he'd tell on her. He never told her what changed her mind.

"Don't be like that. They won't get us, I promise. I'm in this thing, I'm here with you." Alec said, he stood up too and hugged Max from behind. He had learned how to deal with her when she was lost in her past. He always managed to calm her down somehow.

This time she felt better too, when she felt his warm touch, knowing she wasn't alone.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just… I don't know, I just can't go back there, they would probably kill me real slowly and if they don't the others would blame me for whatever this woman and her people thought of to prevent another escape."

They both shuddered slightly when Max spoke about "that woman", Mrs X, was even worse than Lydecker. Alec only knew her from Manticore where she had a certain reputation (and not a good one), but Max although remembered what that woman did to Tinga, her sister.

"I know they blamed you for leaving back then, but don't listen to them. They could have tried to escape too if it had really been that bad. But they didn't. I was there too, we had more rights when you and your friends stayed there, but it wasn't that bad. After all we all still wanted to stay there." Alec tried to soothe Max, knowing that what her "brothers and sisters" had told her really got to her. He said his last sentences with a certain bitterness and he knew that Max was wondering what happened to make him change his mind. But he although knew she wouldn't ask.

"Whatever. I'm here and I won't go back." Max whispered confidently.

The two young adults stood there, starring at the horizon, Alec still hugging Max. Both lost in their thoughts, Alec was thinking about what brought him here and Max was thinking about her time in Seattle, how she always sat on the Space Needle. When she felt Alec tense behind her she knew he was thinking about "it" again. "It" was whatever happened that made Alec escaping with her.

"Alec, what…?" Max asked, stopping herself before she ended the question. She had broken the rule. He knew what she was about to ask as well as she did. She didn't finish the question, leaving it up to Alec to tell her what happened. Or to choose not to tell her.

"I'll go and sleep. I assume you don't want to? If you do, just wake me up and I'll stay awake to watch out." Alec said in an emotionless tone. He didn't want to talk about what happened, he knew he was unfair since he knew what happened to her in Seattle. But then again she never told him, he heard it from their supervisors at Manticore. He had been in a good position back there, they had trusted him completely and that was why he had so many liberties. Something that had made their escape easier.

"Ok, good night." Max replied quietly, the disappointment evidently in her voice.

Alec kissed her on the head then he let go of Max and went back to the camp fire, lying down to sleep for a few hours. It was the old pattern, Max didn't sleep much and sometimes she just didn't at all, so she would stay awake and watch out. When she was tired she woke him up and slept herself, but that was rare.

Max stayed standing, her eyes fixed on the horizon. She didn't know what was going on with Alec, but she knew it had been stupid to ask. It was obvious Alec didn't want to talk about whatever it was and she should just accept it. Max sighed. And her thoughts took familiar ways back to the life before she had been caught, when she had loved and lead a normal life. As normal as it could be considering she was a genetically enhanced killing machine and had been in love with Eyes Only.


	3. 3 The beginning of the end

Makin A Choice You Can Live With – Chapter 3

"I don't like this at all, just for the record." Max said while she was looking down the aisle in the supermarket.

"Like it or not, if you got a better idea feel free to share it with me. If you, most likely, don't: Shut the hell up and watch out." Alec hissed annoyed by having the same conversation in every new city.

"No need to get all pissy. What's your damn dealio today?"

Alec sighed, what his deal was? He didn't want to argue about the same damn thing over and over again. Max always made him look like the bad guy, but she WAS helping him and doing just what he did, just that she said she didn't want to do it.

"Look, I get that stealing food doesn't go that well with your new found morality and save-the-world-attitude, but you said you're hungry and I'm getting us food. Since we have no money and no time to earn some, so could you please just shut up and let me do the stealing while you're looking out?"

"Yeah, yeah. Always the perfect C.O., aren't you smart-Alec?" Max said disapprovingly and somewhat teasingly. "Did you-" She was cut off by a sharp look that Alec shot her. "Ok, ok. All right." She murmured, not wanting to just give in like that. She didn't know exactly herself, why she was so moral in the last months, she assumed that she just missed Logan and knew he wouldn't approve of how they lived and stole nearly everything.

"You know, putting up with your talking the whole day is reeally getting harder each day. Not that surprising you never found someone to love outside of Manticore." Alec said a few minutes later when the two were on the streets of Vancouver again. His answer was a very painful punch into his rips with Max's elbow.

"What do you know?" Max said dismissive and cold, not letting his words really get to her. He didn't know nothing about her life in Seattle. After all she knew that Logan loved her.

_At least he has at some point. I don't know what's about now, one year later, he might have moved on. But whatever, it was my decision to not go back and this smart-ass here should better learn to shut his mouth!_

"I know more than you think I do." Alec said with a grin on his face. Max stopped which caused Alec to turn to her and throwing her a half weird half worried look. After all they were still on the run.

"What's wrong?" He asked and looked down the street out of the corner of his eyes. Suddenly he was pulled of his feet, raised and pushed against the wall, held up there, feets a few inches over the ground. "What in hell are you doing? Are you crazy, let me down Max, what if somebody sees us?"

"I don't give a shit about who sees us, we won't be here for too long anyways. What I do want to know is what you are implying that you know about my past." Max said angry and with her typical "may the devil care" attitude.

"I don't know nothing, I was just saying. Never heard about teasing and stuff?" Alec said while watching right and left, as if to spot and impress the people who were looking their way.

"Call me foul, but somehow, for some strange reason, I don't believe you!"

"Max, honestly, do we have to argue about what you believe and what you don't here on the streets?" Alec tried to reason with her. When a bypassing tourist with a camera stopped and watched the two of them, a girl holding up a guy with one hand, he quickly added: "Don't we should better talk with a priest in a church, he can better discuss questions of faith." The man, obviously not the smartest, walked away again.

"What are you talking about?" Max asked honestly confused.

Alec used Max's moment of abstraction and punched her in the elbow, causing her arm that hold him up in the air to let go. He spun her around and got a tight hold of her arms, pressing her back against his chest and making it this way impossible for her to move.

"I was just talking to get some stupid tourist to not pay any more attention to us. Now he just thinks that a very strong girl is upset with someone questioning her religion. And you gotta promise me right now that you won't pull some shit like that again, at least not in public, if you want to walk to our hotel on your own. If you can't promise, then we'll just play lovers for some more time."

"Bite me!" Max hissed now getting really upset. She didn't like being caught and helpless at all, even if it was just Alec and she knew he wouldn't hurt her.

"Promise first." Alec said chuckling, beginning to walk in the direction of their hotel, forcing Max step by step to walk in front of him, her arms still crossed in front of her chest, held tightly at her sides.

"I promise you..." She said and jerked away from him as soon as he loosened his grip. "... hell!" Then she walked faster and was a few steps ahead of Alec.

"Hey Maxie, don't be mad at old me. You know you love me!" Alec said with a fake pout.

"Oh gee, you caught me." Max retorted ironically, turning around and walking now backwards while shooting angry glares at Alec.

"You know you love me, admit it already!" He said and was suddenly in a split second right in front of Max, his body flat against hers, feeling her breath on his face. For observers it would have looked like some kind of strange flickering in the hot air.

"You're so full of yourself!" She said, breathing harder. "But..." Alec continued, not breaking the eye contact or moving at all.

"But I wouldn't have it any other way, I guess."

Alec grinned at closed the space between them and kissed her passionately.

Later at the hotel room...

"So, you said you knew more than I think you do. Wanna elaborate?" Max said, turning under the sheets to face him. Alec groaned, avoiding meeting her questioning gaze.

"Oh no, don't start again. I told you, I just said it for no reason."

"You do realize that I still don't believe you, do you? I know you inside out and I know when you're lying, or in this case avoiding." Max explained matter-of-factly , not letting him get away.

"Ok, ok. You know me far too well." He sighed. "I heard about your life before you were caught when two trainers talked about it. I just know that they suspected that you had something going on with some cyber-journalist, who was on their shooting list because he knew too much. They wanted to haunt him down or something. I don't really know much." Alec explained, readying himself for one of Max's tantrums. She didn't like someone mentioning her past, so much he had learned.

"What else is new?" Max murmured, more to herself than to Alec, thinking about how everybody wanted Logan dead. She was just hoping that they hadn't gotten him yet. Or that he had finally come to his senses and stopped making an easy target out of himself.

"What?" Alec asked surprised.

"Nothing. Nothing, it's just that I already knew they were after him. They gave me some virus or something so that if I come near him, he'll die. Tried to break me, these idiots." Max said, not lying but not telling what she was thinking about either. There was no need or reason to tell Alec about what her life used to be like.

"Oh, then I guess that's the reason you didn't go back, right?" Alec asked, his voice serious and sympathetically.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes, that's one of the reasons."  
"I'm sorry." Alec told her sincerely.

"Don't be. This life got it's pros and cons. Gotta live with it." Max brushed the matter of, not showing any emotions.

Before Alec could say anything to crack Max's resolve someone knocked at hotel room door brutally. Alec and Mac shot each other panic, alerted looks.

"Open the door!" Someone yelled through the door, followed by noises that indicated that someone or something was attacking the wooden door real hard.

"White!" Max whispered and jumped out of the bed, grabbing a bunch of closes while throwing over something as fast as possible. They ran over to the window and looked down at the street, three black vans stood in front of the hotel and some people with machine-guns. "Great." Alec commented while they both rushed to the other side of the room, checking the alley in the back of the hotel. There was no van and only two man in sight. "Guess we'll take this one then." Max whispered, looked at Alec for confirmation and then they both sprung out the window, breaking the glass in pieces, just in that moment the door broke.

They knocked out the two guys while heading for the train station, White and his guys were coming after them, but when White arrived at the station all he found was a leaving train, which was moving further away every minute.

"Tell me where this damn train is going and where it stops. Every damn little mile this train is driving, I wanna know about it!"

"Sir, this train doesn't make any stops and goes straight to Seattle. Not even a checking at the border as far as I know. It's mostly for diplomats and those people."

"Seattle. Sweet home it is then, I guess. 452, what are you thinking?!" White said, starring off into the direction where the train had left. He pulled out his cell and dialed a speed dial of his.

"Fenos'tol. She's on her way to Seattle. Yes, we'll get her there. Maybe him too, that is if she doesn't touch him first. I'm sure she'll see him in someway and we'll use the lead. This is the beginning of the end for 452 and Eyes Only. Yeah, finally. I'll make a call as soon as possible. Fenos'tol."


	4. 4 Reunion 1

Hey guys, this the next update, I hope you like it! Schools starting the day after tomorrow, in 32 hours to be exact, and so this will probably be the last update for sometime. But I'll try to write as much as possible during school, and if you review I'll put this first, before the other stories, because I'll rank my updatelist after the received reviews, so it's really up to you ;)... This chapter is longer than the others and I hope you'll like it. Right now I got a hell of a headache, and that's why I didn't check the second half of this chapter for mistakes, so forgive me for this one. Hope it's not too messed up.

Thanks too all who reviewed the last chapter. I always try to respond to the reviews, but since some are anonymeous I'll do these here:

**Ihooo: **Thanks ;), and I won't call him her brother, that would be really weird, right...

**mmmbop: **Thanks for the review and I'll try my best ;)

Anyways, I hope you like the chapter, I tried to do my best.

Enjoy reading and **don't forget to review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

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MACYCLW – Chap 4

"So where is this train heading for anyways? Any idea?" Jude asked while they were watching the train station fade behind them, knowing that White was standing there, angry and anxious to finally hunt them down.

"Seattle. It's a direct train, so no stops. Good thing is we don't have to worry about anything until we're there, bad thing is that White will probably be awaiting us there." Alec said, placing his arm around Max and pulling her a little closer. Their life had been dangerous since they escaped, but White was getting closer and closer and he knew that Max would literally rather die than going back to Manticore again.

"Seattle?" Max asked soundless, sounding for the first time since her recapture by Manticore kind of really scared.

"Yeah. Something wrong with Seattle?" Alec asked, sensing that something was terribly wrong indeed. Max threw him a scared look and Alec pulled her instinctively into his chest, stroking her back soothingly.

"It's just… I never wanted to go back, you know? I vowed I wouldn't." Max whispered, feeling herself loosing it and fight against the tears.

"You lived in Seattle before…?" Alec asked, finally understanding what was scaring her so much. She had decided after their escape to never go back and he knew that she hadn't really forgotten her friends and the guy she had been with since then. He knew that every time she got into these dark moods, she was missing whatever she had back there, apparently in Seattle. But Alec had never seen it as a threat or something to them, because he knew Max wouldn't just leave over night and go back there. But now he felt something stung him in the chest, thinking about the fact that she was going back now. It was fear about losing her. Something he had NEVER felt before, expect for this one time. Rachel.

Alec banned all thoughts about Rachel or losing Max in the back of his mind and concentrated on less painful things like being there for Max and the present.

"Yeah I lived there. And I never wanted to go back, but I guess I don't really have a choice, do I? But you gotta promise me that we won't stay there any longer than absolutely necessary, ok?"

"We won't Maxie, we won't!" Alec said and kissed her softly, not knowing what else to do comfort her. Max wasn't very emotional usually, which was natural considering their training and everything back at Manticore. True, Max had changed while she had lived in Seattle, but now she was back to the old her, like before she went to Seattle. She had her resolves and walls up high and the only one that was able to get to her nowadays was Alec, he was the only one she trusted too.

"Ok" Max said, pulling herself together and trying not to think about what could happen in Seattle. "Then I suggest we find ourselves a good place in this train, maybe a private cabin, you know, we got a few hours to pass." She smiled at him seductively and he grinned back and followed her lead. So what, if she only wanted him right now to get her mind of whatever was waiting in Seattle? Nobody questioned their bond, because they knew it was there and it was stronger than ever.

"So this is Seattle?" Alec said when they left the train station.

"Yup." Max replied shortly, looking around the familiar and yet so strange place.

"From what I see as broken as every other city. What do you think? Should we take a room in a hotel nearby and never leave it for the next two days until we take our next train out of the city?"

"Sounds fine with me. I mean what sane girl would turn down an offer like this?" She asked and looked at him with one of her special smiles she had once only reserved for Logan.

"So do you know a good place to stay somewhere around here?" Alec asked while they walked along a street.

"I do, actually. It's a cozy hotel and the owner still owes me something. So I guess we can actually stay in a good hotel without having to steal before." Max smiled at Alec, letting him know the words weren't intended to blame him for stealing so often. After all she knew there was no other chance to get enough money because they were constantly moving.

"You know, I could always go into the ring again, one or two fights and we could make us two very nice weeks in a cozy hotel." Alec teased Max, knowing very well that she hated him fighting. She always said it was too dangerous if they were made, but unspoken truth was that she just didn't like Alec fighting and her standing next to the ring, not able to do a thing while Alec had all the fun. During their first free month Alec had been fighting at night in some clubs and they had earned more than enough cash with it, but Max had been bored pretty fast and finally White and his men had traced them there for the first time. That was when Max had seen White for the first time, she had nearly been captured by him, because he was stronger than anybody Max had ever seen and had scared the shit out of her (a first time too), but luckily Alec had finished with White's men just in time and had come to her rescue. Together they had given White a pretty hard time and had escaped in the end.

Max only shot him a "yeah-right"-look, not bothering to punch him or something because she knew that he wasn't really considering it.

The two talked and fooled around a lot more while they were heading for the hotel Max knew. It was unusual for them to be this whole lovey-dovey way, but after they just escaped White and his men once again they were in an extremely good mood, and although Max wouldn't admit it, it felt good to be back in Seattle, it felt like coming home.

"Hey Ronnie! Remember me? One year ago or so, at Jam Phony, friend of Herbal's." Max greeted a black guy with afro's which reminded Max of her homegirl, Original Cindy. She really missed her.

"Yeah, of course I remember you. You turned me down." Ronnie said and looked upset at the memory.

"Aww, still not over me?" Max teased with a grin, knowing that he wasn't serious at all.

"Won't ever be, beautiful lady. What a waste that you had a thing for that chair-guy." Ronnie said smiling while shaking his head as he would be sad about something. When she heard someone coughing slightly right behind her, Max suddenly remembered Alec. She blushed and turned around quickly, searching her mate's eyes.

"Don't get jealous, alright? Just a friend of mine. Or better a friend of a friend of mine. Nothing for you to worry about, promise!"

"If you say so." Alec said, not sure what to think. Max had talked so… un-Maxie with this stranger. She even said he wasn't really a friend of hers. How could that be when she flirted with him like it was normal?

Max smiled at him widely and turned then back to Ronnie. "Ok, me and my friend would like to stay in the city for a few days. But we don't have much cash and so I thought that maybe you could give us a free room?"

"Of course, no problem, we're not full anyways. You know, everything for a friend of my brother." Ronnie said and wrote something down, then he handed Max two keys. "Here you are, two keys since you're two and your room number is 12. If there is anything else I can do, just tell me, alright?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks Ronnie." Max said with a sweet smile and then she dragged Alec away with her. But before they were out of sight Ronnie called Max back. "Max, wait a minute! I'm going to Crash tonight, Herbal, Sketchy, OC and the others will be there too. Wanna come with? I'm sure they'd be more than happy to see you again!"

"Oh, ehm, no actually. I think it's better if I stay here with Alec. Could you do me a favor and not tell anybody we're here? Because I have to leave in a day or two anyways and I'm not really up to saying good-bye to all of them. Please." Max said with big puppy eyes. Ronnie seemed to disapprove, but he didn't say anything, just nodded and went back to his business.

"Don't want to meet your old friends?" Alec asked tentatively when they were alone in their room.

"Nah. I don't think that's such a good idea, you know." Max replied shortly, clearly not wanting to discuss the subject. She wanted to go to Crash and meet all the folks and especially OC, but she didn't want to make appearance that could be noticed by Logan.

Besides, it was easier for everyone to think that she was dead. It would be safer for them if White found out where she was. On top of it she didn't really want to take Alec with her to Crash, they would ask questions about him and Max wasn't who she used to be, she didn't want Alec to see her other side. Her weak side.

Alec had been his whole life in Manticore or with her on the run, they enjoyed each other and had lots of fun, but everything had been not too emotionally. For example, they never told each other "I love you", partly because they were both afraid the other wouldn't feel that way and both had a feeling like they betrayed someone, although the other didn't know about the last thing. Max was different around people from her old life; she knew that and had noticed it, even when she had just talked with Ronnie.

Max wasn't ashamed of her old life or something, but it was something that she just couldn't have anymore, she was now at Zack's point of view and knew now what why he had been that cold and distanced when she had met him. She couldn't afford now slipping back into her old habits and feelings, not with someone like White in her back and she didn't want to be distanced like Zack was to her old friends. So she chose to stay away.

"Ok. So what do you wanna do tonight?" Alec questioned, interrupting her deep thoughts.

"I don't know. Ordering pizza and a video, maybe?"

"No way. You might not admit it, but I know you want to go out. We'll go out tonight, you love this city after all, I saw it in your eyes when we arrived here."

"Alec, no. I don't want to go out or to Crash or anywhere else. I want to stay here."

"But… why?" Alec asked confused, not understanding why Max was fighting so hard against what she obviously wanted. "Is it because of me?"

"No, it's not because of you! It's because I don't want to meet anyone I know. Because I don't want them to find out that I'm not freaking dead. Because I can't let him find out I'm alive, because he will come and try to find me, and I can't come near him!" Max shouted angry now. Suddenly Alec found his anger rising as well. So this guy was the reason Max didn't want to go out, but it had been one year, shouldn't she be over him by now? Besides, she was HIS, Alec's, not someone else's girl. He loved her. Although he couldn't say or admit it, he did.

"Oh, of course, it's because of HIM. The mysterious man that owns your heart, right? Ever thought of letting go? It's really pathetic, you know, you're still in love with this guy although you know you won't ever see him again and he thinks you're dead. What if he was smart, what if HE moved on? Then you're being miserable without reason for the rest of your damn life!" Alec said venomously, not caring how harsh and mean his words were. Not caring about the tears that shone in Max' eyes. All he cared about was this new pain in his chest that he didn't understand, this feeling that killed him inside, the wish to beat the guy up, who Max wanted to be with. He wanted to shake Max and bring her back to senses, but he knew he couldn't do it. He knew he was just "jealous", but it was a so strange feeling, that he didn't know how to deal with it. He had never thought he would be someone to be jealous ever, he always thought he was too clever and smart for that.

"You're such an ass sometimes!" Max cried, not allowing her tears to fall down, but although knowing she wouldn't be able to hold them much longer.

"What? You're hiding from your EX, but you have no problem with insulting me for telling the truth? Why don't you go into the bathroom and lock yourself in there, because I'm so mean and I'm not pitying you for not being able to go out!" Alec hissed. He knew it was wrong and unfair to say such things, but he couldn't stop himself.

"Bastard." Max whispered, grabbed her leather jacket and rushed out of the room, still having both keys in her hand. "Don't even try to follow me!" She yelled while she slammed the door behind her. She knew he wouldn't follow her, because if he did he would lose her anyway and he wouldn't be able to get back into the room. Back in Manticore she had always been the best at escape and evade and although Alec had come near to her, she had always been the best.

So a few minutes later Max was walking through the dark streets of Seattle. It wasn't very cold, but she was shivering none the less. She hated fighting with Alec, because he was the only one she had and so their fights had never lasted very long. But what he just said to her was really getting to her, because he was the only one she trusted and had.

Thinking about what he said and why he could have possibly said it and if it was true, Max wasn't paying attention to where exactly she was heading, she just kept on walking and let her intuition guide her. When she recognized her familiar surroundings she realized she was standing in front of the "Crash".

_Why isn't this surprising at all? Well, now I'm here and I can go in there just as well, can't I? I mean, so what if they see me? It will be nice to see them again, to properly say good-bye instead of just vanishing into thin air. I can leave this city tomorrow anyways, so Logan won't be able to catch me quick enough. I'll just have to stay at the hotel room until we're leaving, not that much of a deal, right?_

Max walked into the club and went down the stairs, immediately spotting a very familiar group around the billiard table. She went to the bar and ordered a drink, downed it in a second and ordered a can of beer. Then she took it and walked over to her old friends, mentally preparing herself for the shocked faces and emotions.

"Hey guys. Mind if I join you?" She asked loud and clear, not wanting to greet everyone separately. She tried to sound casual and like she always did back then before she had been recaptured.

"You're… not dead?!" Original Cindy asked, speechless and shocked. The others around her stared at Max with the same expression. She put down the beer and rushed over to OC and hugged her best friend.

"I missed you so much!" She whispered, once again tears in her eyes. Twice in one day, Seattle really wasn't good for her.

"I… I missed you too, boo." OC said, still shocked but slowly getting herself back together, she hugged her supposedly dead friend back. "Your rich boyfriend said you were dead, and when you didn't showed up, we believed him. Where the hell were you?"

"I'm sorry. I wasn't dead, but they… they had me again. I escaped about half an year ago. Since then I've been on the run. It was too dangerous to come back, I have t move from one city to the next to keep them of my back." Max explained and let go of her friend and turned to the others. She hugged Sketchy and Herbal and soon it felt again like in old times. They asked her where she had been and she told them from a few of the citys she and Alec had come through, although she didn't mention Alec and only OC knew that she had been on the run.

Later the guys were off to play billiard and OC and Max sat alone at the table, talking and catching up.

"So, you have been alone all these months?" OC asked innocently.

"What do you mean?" Max asked cautiously. She had intently avoided mentioning Alec without having to lie directly.

"Well, you said before "when we were in New York…" you know, it kind of tipped me off that you weren't alone, sugar. Although the others didn't notice, no one can fool Original Cindy, boo!" OC said with attitude and Max laughed happily. She had really missed her homegirl.

"Oh, right, I forgot. Stupid me. Ok, you caught me, I wasn't alone, me and this guy, Alec, we escaped together from Manticore and stayed together ever since. He would be here with me tonight, but we got into a fight and it's the best if we spent some time alone, I guess."

"All right girl. Just tell me, why didn't you come back before? I mean, sure, in the beginning it might have been too risky, but over a half year?!"

"It's just… I don't know. I can't let myself settle down again. Zack was right in this matter, I can't let my guard down you know. That's why I'll be leaving tomorrow or latest the day after tomorrow. It's for the better, believe me!" Max said, not meeting OC's gaze, she knew she hurt her friend saying it, but how could she lie to her best friend?

"You know, Logan was devastated when you weren't here anymore. He really believed you were dead. Eyes Only's not the same anymore, he's more obsessive and he stirs up the population more than ever. There are even "neighborhood watches" who react on his order. It's real scary. I haven't heard or seen him in person since he told me you were dead, but something's not right with him. I think you should go and see him before you leave again."

"I… I can't do that. I just can't. I'm sorry." Max said, not able to tell OC what they had told her. She couldn't help but picture Logan in his wheelchair, lonely and sad and obsessive with his work.

"He needs you Max. By the way, he can walk again. But as far as I know even that couldn't get him out of his strange mood. I know you don't want to, but just talk to him."

Max sighed. She knew OC was just trying to do the right thing, but everything she said was just making it harder for Max. She knew she had to stay away. She had no other choice.

"I really can't do it, boo. Please, let's not talk about it anymore, ok?" She asked pleading, nearly begging.

"I somehow think that won't be that easy, boo." OC retorted, looking at someone behind Max. Max turned around, just to see Logan Cale himself WALKING down the stairs.

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Any thoughts what will happen now? Tell me what you think, I might use your ideas, got an idea too, but I'd just love to know what you think :)... And if you review I'll update sooner...


	5. 5 Reunion 2

The next update, yay... School really sucks already, I'm only two years away from ending school and one of our teacher's still takling to us like to fifth grades! You sit there and feel like someone's trying to make fun of you... It's really getting on my nerves already. But well, I wrote a bit and I hope you like it. PLEASE, PLEASE, please, REVIEW, because reviews make me really happy these days and with the final semesters in school coming and all the stress about it and the higher leveled curses, I really need something to look forward to, like checking my mails and seeing my favorite words: You got Mail.

Enjoy reading and tell me what you think.

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MACYCLW – Chapter 5 – Renunion 2

„Shit!" Max whispered when Logan's eyes searched and found hers. He was coming over to her and she couldn't let that happen, now could she? This virus thing could kill him, if they hadn't lied at her, that is. But it was senseless to contemplate about such things, she couldn't and wouldn't risk that the doctors had told her the truth and that meant that she couldn't let Logan anywhere near her.

"I knew this was a bad idea." Max murmured when Logan had reached the end of the stairs.

"What are you talking about?" O.C. asked her friend, feeling like she was missing something important.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't do this." Max said to her friend, throwing her a pleading look.

"Max, come on, I know you don't want to, but you can't change it anymore. He's here and you owe it to him to at least explain yourself, don't you think?"

"You don't get it, do you? I can't come anywhere near him, even if I wanted. I… I gotta go. It was good to see you again, sis!" Max said and began walking to the back exit, she was getting quicker with every step, knowing Logan would follow her as fast as possible as soon as he understood that she was trying to leave. She threw a glance over her shoulder to see if he was following her and to see his charming smile for one last time. Just when she looked at him he seemed to understand what she was trying to do and the smile faded from his face. Now a strange Logan looked at her, she didn't know him with this blank face and these raging eyes. There was nothing left to remind her of the once loving and caring friend she had fallen in love with.

Max made a sprint for the exit, at the door glancing one more time back. She was nearly so surprised that she stopped opening the door, but her Manticore training kept her from hesitating that long. Logan wasn't following her. He stood there, his now cold and angry eyes fixed on her and he wasn't moving in the least. Max hadn't much time to analyze his expression, but she found it somewhat sneering, like he would be laughing at her if he wasn't so angry or disappointed or whatever.

Then Max had opened the door and was rushing out, turning her back on Logan for good this time. She was determined to never go back again. This time it had been hard enough and she didn't want to hurt Logan anymore with ignoring him. She wished she hadn't come to Crash in the first place, now she would have new nightmares about Logan, seeing this cold person and hearing O.C.'s voice all over again about him having changed and not for the better.

"Stop right there, human girl!" A voice said, no bellowed at Max outside the club. Max immediately froze and observed her surroundings, searching for whoever was talking to her. But there was no one to be seen. Max went without thinking in her "fight-mood", means she was standing a little bit crouched with her arms on mid-high, ready to... defend herself if nessecary.

"I'm stopping, if you come out and show yourself. I hate talking to shades." Max called with a loud and clear voice, there was no fear or surprise in it. She had dealt with so many things by now that fear was an emotion she rarely felt and even more seldom showed.

"Ok, I'm coming out little lady." The voice bellowed again. At first Max had thought that she had imagined the "bellowing" sound, but now she was sure of it. But who, or what, in hell was talking to her?

Max noticed a movement left from her and her head shot to the left, not wanting to miss a thing. A man came out of the dark, well at least he was walking on two feet. But as soon as he came into the light of a street light Max nearly flinched. The person in front of her had a face that was strangely deformed and very long hair and looked a little bit like a dog.

_That would explain the bellowing thing. God, and people say I'm a monster while such things are walking on our streets?!_

"To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting you?" Max asked loud and clear, not sure if the man/dog understood her very well. Although she was strangely enough not really scared of this… thing.

"Friend, Logan, told me to not let you get away. He wants to talk to you. I'm doing him a favor." The thing said sounding proud.

"So, Logan's your friend? Great. What's your name? That is if you have one…" Max asked while thinking with high-speed. What was going on? Could Logan have really known not only that she was going to come, but that she would try to get away too?

"Yes, friend of Logan's. My name's Joshua. Father named me before he left. I'm the first… special." Joshua announced proudly and somewhat naively.

_I could have escaped a thousands times. What the hell was Logan thinking? That I would be scared of doggy Josh over here?_

"Yeah, you're sure as hell special. Where are you from?" Max asked, slightly curious what had happened to that guy.

"I'm from Manticore. Then father named me and took off. Bad people didn't like me, sent me into a cell. But Joshua escaped and now I'm here." Joshua explained and by now Max had gotten used to the bellowing tone. She somehow felt for Joshua, he probably didn't have it easy in life.

"Wait, did you say Manticore?" Max questioned alerted, while trying to put all the information she had just gotten together.

_He must be one of the projects of the labs. Ben always used to tell us that they were trying to cross human and animals for their science. What freaks and __sick people. They are creating creatures like Joshua and never care about them, to them they are just material, stuff. They never care about feelings. Just like with us X-5s, only that we can at least lead a more or less normal life outside of Manticore. Joshua here has no chance. Well theoretically he hasn't…_

"I'm from Manticore too. I escaped too." Max added soundlessly when Joshua wasn't answering. Max had a feeling like Joshua was shying away from her and so she quickly continued:  
"I won't hurt you Joshua. I'm a friend."

"A… a friend? Like Logan?" Joshua asked tentatively.

"Yeah, like Logan." Max said although she cringed inwardly by speaking his name out loud.

"Yes, Joshua, Max's a friend of mine and she won't hurt you. Thanks for not letting her take off, my friend. You can go now, I'll drop by later!" Logan's voice came from behind, from the back exit of Crash.

Joshua nodded and went off into the dark, Max could have sworn that he was nearly walking on all fours. She sighed when she couldn't see Joshua anymore and turned around slowly. Logan was standing there right in front of the exit, starring at her.

"So, you caught me." Max began, not sure what to say or what to do. She was earnestly thinking about just running away, Logan would never be fast enough to follow after all.

"Yep, that I did." Logan agreed, still starring at her and by now she was feeling uncomfortable under his intensive gaze.

"You can walk again. I'm glad for you."

"Yeah, gotta thank you for that through, somehow my body isn't rejecting your cells anymore so that everything's going back to normal now." Logan explained without saying anything really important like asking why she was running or why she didn't come back earlier. And that was getting on Max' nerves, what was Logan trying to do?

"Just one more question, since you don't seem to be in the mood to talk right now. What's supposed to be keeping me from running along this street right now and leaving you standing here?" Max asked coldly, trying to keep her torn emotions out of her voice.

"Nothing."

"Well, gee, then I'd say it was nice to see you again. Have a good life?!" Max commented half asking half stating. She wasn't sure what to think of Logan's strange and untypical behavior. Logan laughed shortly, it didn't sound like a laugh of him was supposed to. It sounded cold and bitter.

"Please Max, who do you think you're talking too? I got the whole area watched, if you leave I'll know where you'll be going. You can't run from me. You can't hide from Eyes Only." His words sent a shiver down Max' spine, his last sentence has sounded so dark and more like a threat or a promise - and not in a good way.

"For not being able to do it, I think I did a pretty good job the last year. After all you were thinking I was dead, wasn't you?" Max snapped, trying to overplay her doubts and slight fear with her attitude.

"I was. But you weren't in Seattle then. This is my city. You can't play with me here."

"Your city? Are you crazy? This isn't YOUR city. This is as well mine as it's yours." Max retorted, not believing what Logan was implying.

"Yeah, right." Logan said sarcastically, imitating the tone Max had used back in the beginning when he was talking way too much about saving the world.

"Hey, just to get this straight, cause you don't sound like you get what the situation is. I'M the genetically enhanced killing machine here, like you said so often yourself. I can kill you in a split second, so don't get all sarcastically on me, because I can't stand that!" Max knew that it was a stupid thing to say and that they should talk about other, more important things instead of fighting.

"So that's all you're doing nowadays? Running from the government and throwing around you with hollow threats? If you wanted to kill me you would have done it long ago, after all you haven't been trained to hesitate a split second, are you? Besides, you were the one trying to escape me in there, not the other way 'round."

"Bite me, Logan! Just tell me what you want so we can get over with this thing. I got a full schedule." Max said coldly, feeling offended and hurt by his mean behavior.

"What I want? I want an explanation, Max, or is that asked for too much?"

"An explanation? You still need one? From what I just heard you have thought well enough about everything the last year and if you know everything oh-so-well then I don't think you need an explanation." Max replied sarcastically as well and icy.

"All I know is that you weren't dead the last year but didn't bother to even call once. What I know is that when you're finally back in the city you don't even stop by. What I've seen is that as soon as I was appearing you were leaving."

"Well, then you already know the most stuff, don't you? I wasn't dead over the last year and I'm not back for you. I don't think that anything else is any of your business. But since I'm a business person I'm proposing a deal: I tell you about what happened and you tell me about Joshua. Deal or should I go and test your men?" Max asked daringly, hating the judging voice and look of Logan's. She had had a hard enough time to not go back and now here he was, acting like she has disappeared on purpose. He really had changed and not for the better, Max knew now what OC. had meant. Instead of answering Logan just nodded at her, motioning for her to continue.

"Ok, I was recaptured, but you know that probably. They were already considering me gone because I needed a heart transplantation and I would have needed an X-5 heart which they were run out of. What a shame, the best facility in the country and they let an precious X-5 like me die because they don't got enough hearts. However, Zack shot himself in the head, saving me this way because they gave me his heart. Then I spent some months at Manticore, withstanding the torture and brain washing and reindoctrination and psy-ops and all the other nice things they had thought of to welcome me back again. To cut the story short, I broke out. And since then I've been on the run. I couldn't come back for reasons of safety; I never stayed anywhere much longer than a few days. I wasn't intending on coming back now either, I thought you were all better off without me endangering you, but I had a close call in Vancouver and my only way out of there was a train that happened to drive straight to this city. They know I'm here so I'll be leaving as soon as somehow possible. That's my story, but I'm sure you knew all of that since you're Eyes Only and the boss of this city. So now tell me about Joshua. How did you meet him and what do you know about him!"

Logan starred at her disbelievingly and for a second Max thought she had her old Logan back, but then this weird and strange cold mask was put on again and she lost hope again.

"I saw a vid of him robbing a supermarket. I did some research and found out that some people of the government were after them and from Lydecker I learned that Joshua was Manticore. The rest is pretty easy; I tried to meet him, met him and talked to him. Now I'm hiding him from the people and he does help me with some jobs that have to be done. For example keeping an X-5 from avoiding me." Logan added sounding upset.

"Wow, was that a real emotion coming through your mask? I gave up hope that would happen ever again. But you know what? I should get going now. Take care of Joshua please and don't worry, I'll be outta your city as soon as possible, promise!" Max said sweetly but with a cold look in her eyes. She turned her back on Logan, upset at him, at herself at everything. She hadn't had to come near Logan, that was the only good thing at this whole evening disaster.

"So that's it? You're gonna just walk away and that's it?" Logan asked from behind.

"Yeah, that's it, I guess. Things have changed, you know?" Max whispered not sure if he heard her.

"I noticed. Just one last thing before you run off. Lay low and don't try to leave the town. The only reason I found you was because some guy called White is closing off the whole city with X-5 , nobody gets in or out."

"Thanks." Max said without turning around and then she started running.

"Oh and MAX!" Logan yelled. Max slowed down a bit. "Don't forget to greet this friend of yours that's staying with you in your room. You know, the guy you came here with, your boyfriend."

Max continued running on high speed. One moment she regreted not telling anything about the virus, but where was the sense in letting both of them suffer? This way he'd rightfully hate her and so he'd be able to move on. At least now she knew why he was acting the way he was. And she knew that, this thing between her and Logan was totally over. Because he didn't and wouldn't ever know.

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I know, it's a short one, and for all Logan-fans: there's gonna be more Logan/Max, but right now it's Alec/Max... SO; TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! HATE IT? LOVED IT? PLEASE!


	6. 6 Changes and a Confession

Here's the next chapter/update, yay. It's longer than the other chapters, and I really hope you like it. I hope there aren't too many mistakes I didn't notice, because I'm seriously sleep-deprived. I got the whole last two weeks no night more than 5-6 hours sleep, caused by my annoying lo parents and me making my homework very late, and me not wanting to go to bed because some ff was just tooo exciting, etc... however, I'll do my homework now (before it gets very dark outside, a new record :)) and then get to sleep early. That's at least my plan.

Enjoy reading and please, please review.

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**Oh, and would somone of you like to be my beta for this story? Because I'd really love if someone would read through my chapters and everything! Please PM me about that!**

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MACYCLW – Chapter 6 - Changes and a Confession

Max arrived at the hotel, slightly out of breath since she had been running with a new personal record speed. It was like back at Manticore, when she had gotten punishment in form of more training, she was getting rid of her anger while giving all she had. In the end she was exhausted, but she had gotten rid of the rage about just everything too and this way she hadn't attacked a trainer or, in this case, done something very stupid that would only endanger her and, more likely, Logan.

"Hey Max, what's up? Back so early?" Ronnie asked, sitting behind the reception desk.

Max looked at him and was tempted to just walk by, but she knew that wasn't fair and she wasn't all that excited to face Alec again.

"Yeah. Got some things to take care of, as soon as possible. What are you doing here? Not in the mood to party?"

"Rather not in the mood to play. I lost enough money today. To this fool Sketchy of all. But who would have thought that this idiot is actually capable of citing the whole damn magazine of his?"

"What magazine?" Max asked trying not to laugh at Ronnie's angry face.

"This shit about mutants and all. As if this stuff really exists. Don't you think we'd know about some monsters walking to our streets every day?"

"Yeah, you'd think so, wouldn't you? However, I think you're the fool for actually taking a wager with Sketchy about his holy bible." Max laughed, although she felt slightly uncomfortable at his mentioning of mutants and monsters. She wasn't a monster, but a mutant. Just that there was no difference for most people.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Thanks for your empathy for my misery. Did you know I was thinking about raising the rent for my rooms. So, what do you think about actually paying?" Ronnie asked annoyed.

"Ok, ok, I'm going to my room and let you some more time to wallow in self-pity, alright?"

"Alright." Ronnie said with a fake grin, but he winked at her, so she knew that he was just a little bit moody about the lost money and not angry at her for real.

Max wandered away and paused in front of the door to her room. This wouldn't be easy, she was pretty sure Alec was angry like hell and she even understood him by now. She had been self-righteous and she really had been hiding from Logan, for a good reason, but still. She should have talked to Alec about it, because he really seemed to care about her and he had just been that mean because he had been hurt. She unlocked the door and entered the room.

"Alec? Where are you? I'm back and I'm sorry!" Max shouted to the bathroom door when Alec was nowhere to be seen in the room. No answer.

"Alec?!" Max shouted again, approaching the bathroom door slowly. Suddenly she had a bad feeling like Alec wasn't there at all. She waited a few seconds for an answer but when none came she opened the bathroom door slowly. She wasn't locked. Bad sign.

When Max had opened the door and starred at the empty bathroom all her regrets and remorse about her behavior were gone out the window. Now she was damn right angry again because Alec dared to leave the hotel room without her.

_This stupid idiot! White's in the city and maybe even Lydecker, who knows what this son of a bitch is doing now. I should have asked Logan… Damn it, why can't Alec just have waited for me here? I mean he didn't even had a key, what was he planning to do? Sleep__ing in the streets? Oh, this stupid cocky arrogant GUY!_

Max was beyond pissed, but she realized she couldn't do a damn thing. She would have to wait for Alec to show up.

Although she was angry and normally didn't sleep that much, or at all for that matter, she was pretty exhausted from the evening.

_Well, then I can catch some sleep while waiting just as good as sitting around. _

Next morning Max woke up from the noise of a closing door. She opened her eyes and saw Alec's back turned on her, while he was obviously trying to close the door as soundlessly as possible to not wake her up. For a moment Max wondered why he was coming home so late, or early. But then everything that had happened the night before came back to her, inclusive her fight, her run in with Logan and how she had felt when Alec hadn't been in the room when she came back.

"So…" Max began, Alec cringed and turned around slowly with a guilty face. "Sneaking in the room in the morning, like with an old dysfunctional married couple." Max's voice dropped with sarcasm.

"Well, we're not old, nor married. And hell, I hope not dysfunctional!" Alec tried to lighten the mood, but he knew when he looked in her eyes, that it hadn't even begun yet.

"Smart-ass, as always, aren't you? Could you please save your irony to yourself for now? Because I need an honest answer to the next question. Where were you?"

"Ok, I understand that you're angry and I promise it won't happen again. I just needed some space, to get the anger out and everything. I promise I won't get all jealous on you again!" Alec assured her with a charming smile, trying to talk himself out of answering the question. Too bad they had been well trained back at Manticore and Max was everything but stupid or naïve.

"Oh really? I can't tell you how glad I am to hear it. And I might forgive you… if you tell me where the hell you've been!"

"Listen, I know you're furious, but please, just trust me. Like I trust you. I promise it won't ever happen again." Alec tried to convince, for some strange reason it wasn't that much that he didn't want her to find out, because she'd be damn right furious, no, it was partially because he wanted her to trust him.

Max caught his gaze and hold it, starred him right in the eyes. This starring-contest went on for a few minutes, the room was silent and they didn't even breathe. The tension was thick as concrete in the air.

"Ok, I'll trust you. This time. Don't ever do this again!" Max gave in after a while. After all, she wasn't completely innocent about everything that had happened. She knew now that she should have been honest and should have talked to Alec.

Alec smiled at her, beaming with happiness and Max couldn't help but smile softly back. He looked like a little kid that had just gotten his favorite sweet. And she felt how his joy was contagious on her.

"Well, then what do you think about giving me the welcome I deserve?" Alec said with a suggestive smile.

"I think that might be not the worst idea you've ever had." Max chuckled while Alec was coming over to the bed. He looked at her with feigned hurt and she smiled widely when she was leaning back and pulling him on top of her. "In fact, this sounds like a great idea to me. Wouldn't have expected a good idea from you through… I hope you're not too… offended?!"

"Oh, you're a nasty girl." Alec said between kisses.

"You caught me I guess. Glad we hooked up?" She asked innocently while knowing she was driving him crazy, after all she knew exactly what was turning him on.

"You could say that…" Alec answered and moaned loudly.

"Show me…"

Suddenly the phone in the room was ringing, interrupting the intimate moment between Max and Alec. Alec groaned when Max reached for the phone, throwing him an apologizing look.

"Yeah?" She asked in the phone, trying to not sound annoyed or too obviously aroused, because Alec was still on top of her and he wasn't stopping covering her skin with passionate kisses.

"… Where are they?" Max stirred. She knew that voice, just too well.

"I don't know, I got no idea. They're not here!" Max heard Ronnie's scared voice. She pushed Alec from her harshly and wrote "Lydecker" on a paper next to her and gave it to the pouting guy. He looked first shocked than slightly scared. Then every emotion was whipped of his face, just like they had been trained. They were now both in "Manticore-mode". They were soldiers with the enemy chasing them.

"I know they are here, you tell me where they are, and maybe, maybe I won't shot you right away!" Lydeckers cold voice came through the phone. A painful scream and then Ronnie stuttered: "Room… 14. They are in room 14. Please let go of me!" It hurt Max to listen to one of her friends being in pain and that just because of her. A shot was fired at the other side of the phone and Max didn't need to listen any longer to know that Ronnie was dead. A tear escaped her eyes, but she still had a straight face. She motioned to Alec to follow her, hung up and walked over to the window.

They were in the first floor of the little hotel and since they were both trangenics it wouldn't be too hard to just jump down to the streets. She checked the street for a few moments, but even with her enhanced-sight she couldn't spot any soldiers down there.

Alec and Max looked at each other and agreed silently on jumping and leaving everthing behind, they didn't have time to pack anyways. Like on cue they heard several steps approaching in the hallway. Max punched through the glass and it busted in thousand pieces, flying away in all directions. Max's hand had now several cuts as well, but she didn't even feel them. She jumped first, Alec following her right away. Down on the street she checked the right side, ready to fight whoever was trying to get in their way, Alec was taking the left. After a second, when they were sure there was no one around they looked at each other again and Max ordered Alec with hand signs to follow her once again, then she was sprinting off, down the streets, determined to get as much space as possible between her and Lydecker.

"Max, stop!" Alec shouted a few houses away from the sector border. "What are you doing? We got no sector passes!"

"Oh, and why would we care about sector passes? Lydecker's here and if we don't leave soon, we might not be able to leave anymore at all!"

"You're probably right, but how in hell are we supposed to get through the controls? We can't risk the whole sector police following us as well!" Alec tried to reason with her, but she just rolled her eyes.

"Alec, this is MY city, I know where to go and which way to take. Don't worry about the controls, I've been working as a thief here for far too long to need sector passes." Max laughed and sped away again, leaving Alec no other choice than to follow her lead. He shook his head and followed her.

Half an hour later Max and Alec were in another hotel room. It was a cheap hotel in the same sector where Crash and Max's old apartment was too.

"How did they find us?" Alec asked as soon as they were alone in the room.

"Probably some police drone. They are like everywhere. Plus I had a run in with Logan last night. He told me before I left that they are controlling every exit of the city, searching for us. And not just the police, some government guys, high classified and everything. It won't be that easy to just get out of here. White, and apparently Lydecker too, is determined to not let us just get away." Max explained slightly uncomfortable talking about Logan. Alec threw her a weird look, but he reminded himself of the trust thing. She was trusting him, so he should do the same, right?

"Ok, I guess that means we have to stay here for some time. We'd better figure out some kind of plan or strategy."

"Yeah, you're probably right, we-" Max began, but they were interrupted by a loud knocking at the door. Jude walked over to the door cautiously and looked through the spy hole. Then she opened the door slowly.

"Yes?" She asked while spying to the right and the left, in case the guy wasn't alone.

"Jam Phony courier, miss. I need a signature here, please!" A young guy said with a polite smile, giving her a package and a clipboard. Max signed and took the package, then she closed the door behind the courier.

"That's strange." She murmured while examining the package.

"What?" Alec asked surprised about the whole thing.

"Well, when I lived here I used to work for Jam Phony and this weirdo Normal. A courier job has the unbeatable advantage of getting a sector pass." Max explained and opened the package after she was pretty sure that there was no bomb or something like that inside.

"It's a letter." Max stated stunned, not seeing the sense yet. The unfold the paper and began reading.

**Hey Max,**

**I'm sorry for the way I acted last night. I talked to Original Cindy and she told me about the virus thing or whatever it is. I understand and I'm not judging. I'm sure you're wondering how I found you, well I know you always liked this hotel and just in case I gave this letter to several contacts in different hotels, just to be sure. However, I don't think that you two will be able to just get out of the city that easily. I suggest you change your appearances, because Sung told me that there are phantom pictures in the police offices and from tomorrow on they will be all over the city. They are pretty good, especially yours. On the second paper is an address of a friend of mine. She'll help you change your looks.**

**I wish I could see you again, but I understand if you don't want to. Be careful.**

**Logan**

"Max? What does it say?" Alec asked impatiently. Max's face was like made out of stone, she gave nothing away. And he was beyond curious.

"It's from… from Logan. He's advising us to change our appearance because there'll be phantom pictures all over the city by tomorrow. They seem to be pretty good."

"To change our appearances?" Alec asked doubting.

"Yeah, you know, we can start with you finally covering your barcode, because I'm sure that will be standing on those wanted poster too. Besides, here's an address of one of Logan's contacts. She'll make sure they won't recognize us immediately."

"So you want to go? Or better, you decided for me too?"

"I'm sorry. Yeah, I want to go, and I want you to go too, but I can't force you. All I can do is ask you to please come with me. Think about what would happen to me if I'd lose you?"

"You'd be miserable for the rest of your life?"

"Whatever it takes to convince you to come with me, darling." Max said sweetly. Alec sighed hardly.

"What?" Max asked.

"I guess I'm whipped. By a girl like you of all. A 09'er!" He teased her.

"Well, look at the bright side." Max said ignoring his teasing comment.

"Oh, there is one?"

"Yeah, the first step to get rid of a problem is admitting you have one!" Max laughed at Alec's stupid face.

"And I'm the smart-ass of us two?"

"Of course, you just got better at acting." Max replied in a matter-of-factly tone.

The two teased each other a little bit longer; both glad the anger of the night before was gone and that nothing was standing between them anymore.

At noon Max and Alec were standing in front of the building where Logan's contact was supposed to have her business.

"Seems like we're right. "Linda's Change For Life". The right address for us, isn't it?" Max began tentatively. She knew that Alec was just as thrilled as Max to do this thing. Meaning: Not thrilled at all. Without him by her side she probably wouldn't go through with it, when there had been these wanted posters from her all over the city once, she hadn't listened to Logan or Zack, when they told her she needed to change. But with Alec she felt stronger and more decisive than she used to before. He was not making things so complicated or stuff, he took everything lightly and with humor.

"I guess it is. Let's go inside and get this thing over with." Alec said and grabbed Max hand, then they entered the building, holding hands, supporting each other.

"Hello! How can I help you two?" A polite smiling woman said, waiting for customers next to the entrance.

"Ehm, hello. My girlfriend here and I need a makeover. We were advised to go here and ask for Linda. We're friends with Logan Cale." Alec said when Max remained silent, while squeezing her hand assuringly. "Make-over"s had existed in Manticore too, just that it wasn't a nice procedure. Instead of going to a coiffeur or a style center like this one, they had been taken to the labs and their DNA had been arranged new, they had really worked them over, so that the new look was permanent. It wasn't a nice feeling, but effective, that was the only thing which had counted back then. From what Alec knew Max hadn't ever changed her appearance after she had left Manticore for the first time.

"Oh, ok, please follow me." The woman said, still with the same polite smile. They walked down a few hallways until the woman stopped in front of two big doors.

"Ok, Linda will take care of you, she's already been waiting for you. Mister, would you please take the right door, Miss, the left please." She said smiling. Max looked one last time at Alec, then she opened the left door and entered the room behind it.

The room was really creepy to Max. It was pink. Everything around her had the color pink. It was like in a big, way too big, nursery. There was a wall, plastered with mirrors. In front of them was a long table row with various… things on it. All the kind of stuff you'd expect in a beauty studio and at a coiffeur, but although some things that Max had never ever seen before. A few chairs were standing around, most without an arm- or backrest, except for one, in the middle of the whole scene. It was a more comfortable chair with rest; it was probably for the customers.

"Hello sweetheart. You must be the girl that brings Logan to actually call me." A high manly voice said from a back corner of the room. Max spun around and watched the man/woman/whatever in front of her more closely.

"Yeah, I guess." She said slightly disgusted. "And you're… who?"

"I'm Linda. Didn't he tell you my name? Bad manners this boy, bad, bad manners."

Max looked the weird guy up and down. He was obviously a real man, since his "panties" were pretty tight. Way too tight as far as Max was concerned.

"Linda." She repeated disbelieving.

"Yeah, I used to have the name "Laurent", from France, but I would think that Logan knows by now I'm not going by that name anymore. But on the other hand, he's always been a busy guy, trying to save the world, even back then in college…" Linda's voice trailed off, obviously lost in memories.

"You were with Logan at college?" Max asked skeptically. Logan really had some weird friends, but "Linda" was kind of topping all the others.

"Roommates. Best friends. At least the whole five weeks he stayed there. Then he dropped out to do this journalist stuff, the big "reposer/revealer"-thing. You know, he always had this "make the world a better place" attitude." Linda said while approaching, he- no, she was always getting a little carried away, it seemed.

"Sit down please, sweety. From what I know you need a make-over and I got a tight schedule."

"Oh, really?" Max questioned sarcastically, but she sat down.

"We don't want to let your guy wait too long? He'll be done earlier than you anyway, so let's get to work!" Linda said, ignoring Max' sarcasm. "You can close your eyes and relax a little bit, maybe catch some sleep? Your dark rings about these beautiful eyes aren't looking that attractive, you know? But I promise, you won't be able to see them anymore after I'm done with you!"

_Why does this sound more like a thread to me than like a promise? _

"And who exactly is working Alec… over? Because if you're here with me, who's next door?" Max asked while Linda was beginning to grab her hair, and watch her too closely, muttering unrecognizable things, obviously thinking about what do to with her.

"Linda's next door taking care of your friend. She's a beautiful and very capable woman. Don't worry, he'll be looking awesome afterwards, just like you will."

"Another Linda like you?" Max asked, wondering if this could get any weirder.

"Linda's my life partner. You know, when I was finding my real self I would have never thought I'd end up with a woman, but life got it's strange ways. And love is blind, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it must be…"

Two hours later Max was walking out of the room, down the hallway and straight to the waiting room, where she had been told Alec would be waiting for her. She didn't just have a new look and haircut, but also new clothes and, along with the new high-heels, a new attitude. She strode confidently into the room, feeling somewhat good in this new self.

Her eyes spotted immediately the familiar ones that belonged to her mate Alec. He was looking quite good, and different himself. He had dark hair, but not black, more of brown. And his eyebrows looked… kinda different. But the strongest contrast were his clothes, he was wearing a short-sleeve shirt which showed off his muscles at his arms and beneath it he had a tank-top-something which left nothing to imagine about his abs. He was looking hot, beyond hot, and Max wanted to jump him right there, but she knew they couldn't do that. Besides, his shocked expression and his on her fixed eyes, were enough to get Max back from her fantasies straight to reality.

She was suddenly nervous, Alec looked good and different, but what if she just looked different? She wasn't worrying about being ugly, that was something that couldn't really happen since she had literally not the genes for that, but none the matter…

"You. Look. Mindblowing. Literally." Alec stuttered after a few moments. He couldn't draw his eyes away from that hot-looking brown-haired woman.

She now had her long hair open, not in a pony tail like she often did these days, and she had a bangs hairdo, which covered her whole forehead. She looked totally different from before and Alec wouldn't have recognized her at once, if he hadn't known her out of everyone. Another thing that was unbelievable about her new style, was the outfit she was wearing, a beautiful light blue dress, with a long silver necklace with short trousers, you could only see the very end of beneath the dress and some stunning looking Highheels. At most woman it would have looked like a expensive, misplaced evening gown, but at Max and with her attitude it looked almost casually beautiful. She was just that kind of girl that could put it off and which looked like she was saying: "I'm gorgeous and don't hide it, can't you see it?"

"Wow." Alec said quietly while he stood up and walked over to her. He kissed her on the cheek and whispered in her ear while he lingered longer than necessary: "I never wanted you more than right now. I gotta take better care of you, darling."

While the were leaving the room their hands found the other and they left the room happily and holding hands.

"You don't look that bad yourself, you know? I never thought brown would look that good at you." Max said grinning like a fool, but unable to stop. She normally wouldn't have felt that good in this not very practical outfit, but alone the expression on Alec's face every time he looked at her was worth everything, even the pain in her feet because of the unfamiliar high-heels.

"Wanna know what I think? I think we never made a better decision than coming here, expect maybe for the escape." Alec commented quietly, to be sure no one but Max caught the last part.

"Guess we gotta thank Logan for that." Max answered lightly, noticing too late that her words were ruining the atmosphere. But Alec's smile was a little bit smaller now and she herself felt somewhat guilty.

The two Linda's were already awaiting them in front of the exit. Both grinning at them and holding hands.

"So, what do you say about our work?" The former male Linda asked excited like a little child.

"I say, it's as good as magic, my girlfriend over here has never looked more appealing to me." Alec said laughing when Max blushed a little. The two Lindas were throwing them knowing looks and Max didn't feel comfortable at all. She had never really been someone's girlfriend, not for very long at least. And when she was, the guys had rarely really called her that way. It had been more on another level, nothing important or serious.

"We're glad to help any friend of our friends. Say Logan "hello" from us, will you? And that he can visit us anytime he wants to!" The former male Linda said when they were leaving. Max nodded, feeling slightly guilty because she was pretty sure that she wouldn't tell or even see Logan anytime soon. He was now her past. Although it didn't feel that way now she was back in Seattle – yet.

While Alec and Max were walking down the street and Alec was making fun of Max, since she had some problems to walk properly on the high-heels, no one of them were paying much attention to their surroundings. It took Max some time to realize that they were just about to walk by Logan's building.

"Hey, could we walk on the other side? There's this unbelievable good pizza-service and I'd die for a pizza right now. Beauty makes hungry." Max lied. Alec agreed and soon they were standing in front of the small restaurant and contemplating on what to order. Well, at least Alec was thinking about what to eat, Max was more concentrated on watching the other side of the street in the reflection in the mirror of the pizza-service.

When she saw Logan coming out of the building her heart nearly skipped a beat. Last night she hadn't been able to see him very good, since it had been dark and she had had other things to worry about. But know she was looking at him more closely and she noticed that he must have trained while she had been gone, because through his t-shirt she could see some muscles, although they weren't half as distinctive as Alec's. Max nearly gaped and turned around through, when a beautiful blonde woman was following Logan out of the house.

She was saying something and the next moment both, she and Logan, were laughing at some joke of hers. Max felt a pang in her heart. She had been beginning to think that Logan was not over her yet, she had liked the thought, although she was with Alec now and she couldn't come near him, but now, seeing him with that blonde she had although seen on the photos at Manticore made her sad and jealous. It physically hurt her that Manticore had been right about him, he really had moved on. He had gotten over her, and yet here she was, still kind of holding on onto something that wasn't there anymore.

What Alec had said that evening before had been right, she hadn't yet gotten over Logan although she had moved on. There were still some feelings left for Logan deep inside for her, but now she knew it was foolish. She wished she could change things between her and Logan, turn the time back, but she couldn't and she wouldn't want to miss Alec either.

"Hey, everything alright?" Alec asked from her side. She had been starring stiff at the glass in front of her, with a expression of utter horror and sadness.

"No, everything's alright. I was just thinking. I think I lost my appetite, I don't really want pizza right now. But feel free to order whatever you want, I'll just wait here." Max said and forced a smile at Alec. The good thing about them was, that they were trained to do the pratical things, so Alec didn't even thought about not ordering a pizza for himself and try to find something Max would eat too. And although he knew something wasn't right, he was assuming that she had remembered something terrible from Manticore, so he'd leave her alone and wouldn't be questioning her about her behavior.

"Ok, it'll just take a minute. Sure you don't want anything?" He asked once again, sounding a little bit concerned.

"No, thanks. It's fine, really. No need to get all mommy on me. I'm a big girl." Max said and smiled now a little bit more truly, since she was partially smiling at his so easy calculated demeanor.

Later at the hotel room, Alec was eating his pizza in front of the TV, while watching fascinated the ringers. Max was in the bathroom, reading once again through Logan's letter. She couldn't help but be angry with herself for being so foolish. She had actually thought that Logan was still feeling something for her, after he had acted that jealous about the Alec past the last night. But now it seemed like Logan had just moved on months ago, without very big problems and although Max wanted him now to move on because of the virus and everything, it was still bothering her.

She was happy with Alec, but things with Logan had been so completely different, while Alec was cocky and sarcastic, Logan had been sweet and honest and idealistic.

If the whole virus thing hadn't been, Max wouldn't have started something with Alec in the first place.

_But I don't really regret it, because Alec's great. I don't know, I love him but now it seems like I still feel for Logan. Can you be in love with two guys at a time?_

But it didn't really matter, did it? After all there WAS the virus between them and Logan HAD moved on.

Out of the blue Max remembered suddenly the last night of her and Logan, the night where they had left for Manticore. He had told her to, no matter what, come back to him. But she hadn't. Suddenly tears fell from Max' eyes, all the unshed tears she had hold back in Manticore and during the last months. All this time she had somehow been holding on to the memory of her old life, of her relationship and love to Logan and to her old friends. She had always known she wouldn't come back, but she had always been able to believe that IF she could come back everything would be great again. She had never really thought about what would be with Alec and what if something had really changed.

"Max? Still in there? I mean I know you're a beauty now and everything, but please don't tell me you'll stay for nearly two hours in the bathroom now on regular basis! And you're not even going out tonight, are you?!" Alec shouted through the door while knocking at the bathroom door.

Max couldn't help but smile weakly through her tears. That was so typical for Alec, when he was concerned or something he was just joking around, but she knew he was trying to look out for her.

"It's fine. I just nearly finished my make-up when you knocked and interrupted me, so now I gotta start all over, thanks, really." Max tried to joke around, although she had a feeling like her crying was evidently in her voice.

"Maxie? Are you crying?" Alec asked like on his cue. Max was about to brush it off and send him away when the door was suddenly opened violently.

"What's the matter with you guys? Do you really always need to show of your strength? You just ruined the bathroom door, idiot!"

"Well, you wouldn't let me in and I heard you were crying, so I thought I'd better come in and check on you. Sue me."

"Gee, thanks. I told you I'm fine, there's nothing you can do anyways."

But Alec didn't go away, instead he sat down on the floor next to Max and pulled her into his arms. She was still sobbing and slightly shaking. She didn't say anything else, nor did he, but she was glad he was there for her and didn't leave her alone like she had asked him to.

Alec was feeling out of place. Here he was, holding the girl he loved, although he hadn't been able to really say it out loud yet, and she was crying and he had no damn idea how to soothe her. So he just held her into his arms, trying to comfort her this way and show here that he would always be there for her. She was his mate, his girl, his.

"What's wrong Maxie?" He asked tentatively after a while. Curious why she was crying. He had never seen her crying or weak before. He had just figured she wasn't the type for things like that. She always had her kick-ass attitude and was up to every fight and he loved her for her smart retorts and how well she understood him. Mostly he loved her smile, it made him always happy to see her smile. But now she was crying and that was a place he had never been before.

"It's stupid. I just saw Logan and this blonde today and I don't know. I think it just came down to me now, that it never will be the same again. I have no way to contact the others who escaped in 09 and Zack's dead and everything. I guess I always thought that when I'd end up in Seattle again everything would be the way it used to be. But it's not. I've held onto a lie, an illusion the whole time. It's just not." Max sobbed and sounded completely lost. Alec's presence was somehow soothing her and she felt like she could be honest to him, show him her weak side she had hidden so carefully for so long.

"So this is about Logan again?" Alec asked, his voice slightly less caring and comforting.

"Yeah. Tell me I'm stupid and illusional and just plain dumb."

"No, you're not. Maybe just a little stupid." Alec said grinning weakly and stroking her back.

"Besides, you're with me now, aren't you? We're mates." Alec questioned cautiously. He was afraid of what Max would answer. He knew it wasn't fair of him to ask her when she was that vulnerable, but he couldn't help it. When she didn't answer right away Alec continued, wanting her to tell him that she'd be with him no matter what.

"If I told you that virus wasn't even working anymore, you'd still stay with me?!"

Suddenly Max stirred. "What? What are you talking about?"  
"Nothing. Just a question. Theoretically. You know me, bad sense of humor." Alec tried to brush it off quickly while cursing himself. How could he be that stupid and bring the matter up in the first place?

"No, that wasn't just a question. What do you know?" Max inquired, her voice calm and somewhat angry.

"Just that… ok, it's not working anymore. I heard that they were just testing it on you and telling you it would last to torture you more and to break you. I was impressed that they were actually forced to do such stuff, although I was skeptic in how far that would help breaking you. To be true, the virus should have stopped working three months ago. I wanted to tell you once or twice, but then you always shut me out whenever I tried to talk about what I already knew about your past." Alec admitted, hating himself for lying to her. But he couldn't be blamed for what he had done back in Manticore, he hadn't known then. IT hadn't had happened then.

"So you're saying you knew all that three last months, that my staying away from Seattle, that my inner struggles were in vain? You didn't tell me, because you knew I was cracking? If I remember correctly, you and I became mates around three months ago and then you just decided to not tell me?" Max asked toneless. She couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. He had become her everything and he had just betrayed her the whole time. He had known. He had…

There weren't any words left in Max minds to describe her feelings. She felt betrayed and left alone. She suddenly couldn't bear being near Alec, it hurt her physically. She didn't want to be in his arms any longer. She didn't want to be in this hotel room for one more minute. She stood up abruptly and walked to the door.

"You can't leave now! You have to hear me out first! I'm sorry, but you can't just walk away now!" Alec shouted to her while he was hurrying to get up himself. She turned, rage written all over her face – and hurt.

"I can't?? Watch me!" She hissed and was about to turn around again.

"Max! Think! If you leave now, they'll get us one by one, we need to stay together, in order to stay free! You've been there already, you've been on your own and you nearly died. Your brother died. We've already lost if we split up!" Alec tried to reason with her. It wasn't really working, but at least she wasn't walking out on him – yet.

"Besides, you said it yourself, just minutes ago! It won't ever be the same! I know you want your life back, but that's not going to happen, no matter how bad you want it. If you like it or not, Logan did move on, he had no virus to force him so. He moved on and now he's with this blonde, not with you. If you go to him now, you'll just find yourself chasing the past, because it won't be the same again. Even if he and you get back together, how would you feel, knowing he moved on a few months after you were recaptured? You'd be just miserable for the rest of your life, that is if White wouldn't find you!"

"Oh, and what do you know about me and Logan? You know nothing about love. You don't know what love is. He thought I was dead. I don't know what I would have done if I were at his place!" Max contradicted, but somehow her words sounded hollow. Alec had just voiced her doubts and fears.

"I don't know nothing about you and Logan, that's right." Alec began calmly, feeling like an asshole for what he was about to tell her. Something he had sworn to never tell her. But that had been when he had never imagined they'd be back at Seattle one day. "I do know some things about Logan through. Some things about what he's done when you were recaptured. It seems like he got obsessed with his work over you being dead. He stirred up the citizens against the sector police. Many young guys with idealistic ideas lost their lives because of his videos. And he didn't care. Instead of calling them back when it was obvious that the sector police was far stronger, he stirred them up even more. And he committed crimes, cruelly, filmed then and then made the videos public, calling these… these executions the deserved punishment. It stopped after some time, but now he has more blood on his hands than you do. I know you loved him once, but I highly doubt that you'd love the man he'd become. And that blonde girlfriend of his. She's leader of a group, S1W. They are for more justice and freedom, but their methods are brutal." Alec told Max, every word hurting himself as much as her since he saw the shock, horror and disbelief on her face.

Max was shocked and torn, she had been beginning to let herself believe because of the letter, that her Logan was still there, but now she that hope was about to shatter. She wouldn't have believed Alec, if she hadn't talked to Logan last night, when she thought about his cold demeanor and O.C.'s words, she wasn't sure if Logan hadn't really done these things. A single tear escaped her eyes, following the way thousand before had taken. What was she supposed to do now? Alec had lied to her and Logan was a stranger.

"Max, I'm terribly sorry. For everything. For lying to you, even for telling you the truth now. But believe me, I just wanted you to be happy and save. Because I love you. I really do. Please give me a second chance." Alec pleaded honestly.

That was the moment when Max was officially feeling like her whole world had been turned upside down in less than 10 minutes.

* * *

Ok, maybe you think that the last part was a little out of character on Alec's side, at least I was kind of feeling like not sure about that. But I didn't know how to make it more Alec-like. Besides, Alec never really talks about stuff like this in the show, so... :) However, please tell me what you think. Maybe you got some ideas how Max can now react, because I still haven't decided yet.

Oh, and it might seem somewhat fast or easy how they get "rid" of the virus, but I hate the virus, so I just thought I'd get rif of it this way... :)


	7. 7 This feels so right

Hey guys here the next chapter. I know it took me longer than usual to update, but I had this idea for a IS ff and I couldn't stop writing on it, so it took my some time to come up with this. Ok, I admit it's not my best work, but I hope it's not the worst too.

On Wednesday I have a stupid chemstry test and later this week latin and next german and history and after that science and math... Well, let's just say I have a rather stressful september laying in front of me so I have no clue when I'll update again.

Please tell me what you think, even if it sucked, I'll try to make the next chapter better.

* * *

Chapter 7

Max was standing in the door frame, listening to Alec's hurting words. She asked herself why he was doing it. Why he had lied to her and was now doing this, everything was just getting more complicated.

_Oh stop whining, he's right and you know it. So he just told you that there's no virus anymore, but what does it really change?_

Max wanted to answer this thought with a clear "Everything", but she couldn't. It was true, she hadn't returned to Seattle all this time because of the virus thing, but there had been other reasons too, at least lately and they hadn't vanished.

_I saw what happened last time to Logan and my brothers and sisters when I was with them.__ They were nearly killed and Zack was caught and is now probably dead or in some labs with them doctoring at him. Don't know what's worse. He never wanted to go back there, but because of me he did. Because of me Logan changed so much. It's all my fault. Do I really want to go back to such a life? Living with the guilt, seeing and getting to know the new Logan, just to find out that I don't even love him anymore?  
_

And here Alec was, rubbing it right into her face, telling her that she couldn't go back. And he was right, wasn't he?

_If I stay with Alec I'll have a chance to lead a life without the guilt, I won't be alone but I won't have the normal life I always wished for either. It wasn't that bad through the last month, I came to really feel for Alec, I think I might even really love him. But why did he lie to me?_

That was the moment Alec told Max he loved her. And that was the moment Max wished she could stop the time and rewind and hear it all over again.

_He loves me? He really does love me?_

Max repeated the question all over again in her head and suddenly she knew she couldn't leave him just like that again. This was right, "they" were right. She wanted and needed this to work and she'd give it a shot.

"I think I love you too, idiot." Max whispered and smiled softly. For the moment she had even forgotten about the whole Logan thing. But Alec hadn't. He was still believing some things were to good to be true.

"So that means you won't leave me and go somewhere to think and blow steam off?" Alec questioned tentatively.

"Of course not, moron." Max said and closed the door behind her, coming to him and sat down next to Alec. "But there's one thing you need to promise me."

"What? I'm promising you everything you want me too." Alec vowed grinning happily.

"Well then, pretty boy, you just agreed on not telling Logan about the whole none-virus-problem thing." Max told him smiling.

"What? Why?"

"Since he thinks I can't come near him because of the virus he promised he'd stay away. Now we tell him: "Hey Logan, good news, the virus bitch is gone. I'm still with Alec, but it was really good to see you again. Have a nice life." Go figure."

"Oh. Ok." Alec said, getting the point and shrugging his shoulders in agreement.

"So you promise you won't tell him because you're jealous or something?" Max inquired to know, wanting to make clear that Alec wasn't allowed to tell anything, no matter what the situation was.

"Alright, I won't, promise. Besides, how could I be jealous on somebody who won't ever get to touch you again." Alec explained while he cupped her face with his hands. "And who will never ever get to kiss you again." With that he kissed Max and she responded immediately, happy with the choice she had made. It felt so damn right, that it couldn't be wrong. She really was over Logan. And even more important: She was with Alec now.

A few hours later…

"So what are we going to do now?" Alec asked Max, lying right next to her on the pretty comfy hotel bed, playing with her new long and straight hair, trying to make some curls into it.

"I guess we have to stay a little longer until it's safe to leave this city." Max said smiling at him, showing him that she wasn't feeling uncomfortable in Seattle anymore, not with him. "Maybe we could go out today and check out the check-points. See what we're dealing with and then we can plan our little stay or an escape."

"Sounds good to me." Alec agreed and sighed. They both didn't want to get up and face the reality, not when this hotel room was the perfect getaway to stay forever. "Should we split up to make things quicker?"

"I think that's better, besides, if White or Lydecker are looking for us they'll look out for two persons, not for one. And since our looks have changed I think we're pretty safe as long as we don't start a fight or something."

"You know, we could always go observing tomorrow, it's not like we're in a hurry or on the run or something, I mean they already know we're here, so we got nothing to lose." Alec implied suggestively, obviously wanting to spend the night with Max. Max grinned at him but shook her head teasingly.

"That's so typical. Did you forget everything we learned? Never underestimate your enemy. I want to leave this town, ASAP." Max stressed the last words. "It's not because of Logan if you're wondering, but I don't wanna be caught again, nor do I want them to search for my old friends or something. Besides, I'd rather die than going back to Manticore, and this time I mean it." Max' voice sounded pretty dark at her last sentence and Alec watched her worried. He knew that Max had to face some inner demons like every night, since he was sleeping next to her and heard her cry from her nightmares. He never told her he knew through, knowing she wouldn't want him to know.

"Maxie,…" Alec began, trying to start an attempt to soothe her, but she signed him to stop.

"Look, I know. I don't wanna talk about it. Don't worry, we won't get caught." Max said to him smiling although she knew that Alec didn't buy it. She kissed him and prevented Alec from saying something, since that was impossible for him with her kissing him.

"Ok" Max began when she pulled away again. "Here's the plan. You're checking out the exit points and I'll try to get some more information from some old friends of mine, alright?"

"Yeah, of course. But don't take too long, because if you do I'll hunt you down and I hate having to hunt you down, babe." Alec said a little bit sulking because Max was so eager to fulfill her mission. It reminded him of the times back at Manticore, Max had always been the best not only because she had been so damn fast and strong and clever, but because she always had had her head in the game. She had concentrated on the task at hand instead of letting some things distract her like others had done. Which must have been why Max had always ignored Alec back at Manticore, at least he kept telling that himself.

Two hours later a frustrated Max was walking through the streets of the broken city. The people she had asked hadn't got the slightest idea what was going on, all they knew was that the controls had been intensified. And if they knew something more they kept trying to escape her or hitting on her and lying about obvious things, honestly hoping to get into her pants.

Max kicked some rubbish out of her way and let a groan out. She couldn't believe how these people were acting, how these fat and stupid and sure as hell not attractive guys actually thought she'd ever start something with them, just to get some more information.

Usually she had never had problem with these things, she had had enough of Logan's money to make them shut up and she had had looked more kick-ass with her old look. Now she was looking like some stupid model or something and so the guys were even more attracted to her. She was really glad she wasn't in heat or something, because if she was, she would have done things she'd regret for the rest of her life, because these guys weren't like Rafer.

Rafer. When she thought about that night she still felt like dirt and had guilt feelings. But mostly she regretted being so stupid scared. She should have gone to Logan, then things with them would have started much quicker and they would have had more than one or two kisses before she had left for this stupid destroy-Manticore-mission.

Max of course didn't really think it had been stupid to try to destroy Manticore, but she couldn't help but still miss her old life. Sure, she WAS happy with Alec and everything, but she also missed the feeling of coming home to her lousy apartment, to go to Crash a few nights a week and to know most people there and to be known by them. To feel like she had a home, a normal life, like she was a just a normal girl next door.

Max sighed, Alec was somewhere out there, doing something useful and important while she wasn't getting anywhere with her plan.

_I should spy a little bit too, it's better than walking through this damn city and doing nothing. Besides, there can never be enough eyes, can there? And maybe I'll find out something interesting, after all I know this city like no other since I've been one of the best thieves out here and when I worked for Logan I got to know some other people and places too._

Max looked around and paid for the first time for about half an hour a little more attention to her surroundings, contemplating about which exit point was the nearest for her. She sighed when she realized her feet had brought her to the only place she had ever called home. She was standing across the street of the old apartment O.C. and she had been sharing in what seemed like a lifetime ago and yet, some things felt like they had happened just yesterday.

_When I'm already around I can just as well stop by and get my baby back, it'll help me when I'm trying to spy a little bit too. _

Max smiled when she thought about her baby, her motorcycle, a black Ninja. She quickly walked over the street and went to her old apartment, wondering if O.C. had already found another girl who had taken Max' place. She wouldn't hold it against O.C., after all the rent had to be paid somehow. Or better the money they called rent, which they had to pay to one of the police officers so he kept quiet about all the people living in the building. Some things never changed.

Max hesitated but finally knocked. It would have looked pretty stupid if O.C. had opened the door or something and had found Max standing in front of it, too nervous to knock.

When the door was opened by O.C. Max couldn't help but feel relief since that meant that maybe, just maybe O.C. hadn't found a roommate yet.

"Max!" O.C. exclaimed and hugged her friend tightly. Max returned the hug, feeling happy to see her old friend again. That one night at Crash had just been too short to catch up on everything since Logan had showed up.

"Come in, girl!" O.C. ordered and walked into the apartment. It looked still exactly the same, just like if Max hadn't ever left.

"You haven't changed a thing?" Max asked surprised, when she had been living together with O.C. that girl had rearranged the furniture or something like once a week at least.

"Nah, didn't feel the same after you left, figured I had to wait until you're back again." O.C. said quietly and Max knew that O.C. had missed her just as much as she had missed O.C.

"I missed you, boo. I'm sorry I didn't call or anything. I thought you'd move on with your life and it would be best this way." Max admitted ashamed of her own doings, since she knew now just how wrong she had been. In truth she hadn't called or something because she had been a coward.

"Don't be sorry, boo. I missed you like hell but you're back now, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am. But I don't know for how long."

"So, did you have a reason for coming here or did you just want to chat."

"Well, if you're asking me like that…" Max began and blushed slightly because she felt guilty for not only leaving again so soon but to not even have thought about just visiting her homegirl. She had been way too busy with herself and too wrapped up in the whole Alec-Logan thing that she hadn't thought about much else.

"Let me guess, the reason you're here is black and was called Ninja 110, right?" O.C. asked with a knowing grin. Max smiled at her nearly shyly and nodded.

"Then you're probably thrilled to hear that good old me hasn't sold it –yet. If you had just left without stopping by, I might have."

"I'd never do that, don't you know that?" Max asked as if she was offended. She hated to admit to herself that she probably would have.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You're precious baby is in your room. I was tired of it getting into my way here in the living room."

"Thanks so much, girl. I really missed my baby too!" Max kind of squealed totally un-Max-ish and ran off into her room.

There it was, HER motorcycle, her baby. It didn't have a scratch and it wasn't even covered with dust.

"Thanks for taking care of it!" Max shouted while she was taking a closer look on it.

"Don't thank me, thank your ex-boyfriend, he kind of reminded me of it!" O.C. replied and Max cringed at the ex-boyfriend term.

"Whatever. I gotta go now and I'm going to take my baby with me. I'll see you around, if it's somehow possible." Max promised and left the apartment with her precious Ninja.

If felt damn good to be back on the road again, feeling the wind on her skin. And the feeling when she leaned into a curve; amazing. She had really missed this; it was a feeling what she liked to call freedom, because she never felt freer than when she was speeding through the city with her baby.

Max slowed down hard about a kilometer before the exit point that was the border between sector nine and the end of Seattle. With her zoom-sight she was able to watch the two police men of the sector police pretty closely while they were obviously teasing some young girl. Max wanted to kick their asses badly, especially when she remembered how they had taken her baby once.

But she refrained and observed the area around the exit point instead, trying to forget the poor girl. It wasn't that hard through, she hadn't paid much attention to anyone except herself and Alec in the last months and she had gotten used to it again. After all, she wasn't Logan who needed to save the world everyday, 24/7.

Three dark figures, which weren't wearing the sector police uniform but were standing nearby and watched the two policemen, attracted Max's attention.

When one of them turned and watched down the street Max was able to see his face and she inhaled sharply when she recognized the cold eyes staring in her direction. White, the son of a bitch who had been hunting them for month was here in Seattle.

_Then Lydecker can't be far away either. What's so special with this exit point? Usually Lydecker and friends hide __their selves at some meeting point where all the information came in. Lydecker isn't stupid enough to face an X-5 in person, he has enough men who can get beaten up for him. _

Max slowly shifted her motorcycle in a side road and deducted the key. She hid it behind a few trash containers and went then back onto the street. The three guys were still standing near the exit point and were talking again. Max sighed relieved, that meant that White hadn't spotted her. Not that she had been really afraid, she had been too far away for that plus it was pretty dark already, but still.

While Max approached the exit point slowly, always cautious to never leave the shades of the houses nearby, she fixed her eyes on White, trying to read his lips. Another ability she had taught herself during her months of being on the run with Alec. But unfortunately it was too dark for her to understand what he was saying.

Suddenly the three man began moving and disappeared in a house next to the exit point, the both policemen didn't seem to care at all, although one of them was throwing a nervous glance at the building after they had vanished.

Max made her way to the building and went into a little side road right next to said building. She searched the wall for something like a ladder or a fire exit or something that would allow her to get inside the house without using the front door. When she saw a steel ladder that ended on the roof she grinned and began to climb up quickly, inhumanly quickly.

Up on the roof she went for the entrance to the highest level, without making as much as a noise she got into the building and looked down the stairs. She stopped her motions and listened with her excellent ears to find out where White and his people were and if there were any other guards or something. She couldn't hear a thing, which caused Max to be even more cautious.

Either there were no guards and she had nothing to fear but three humans or there were guards and they were well trained. When she reached the third floor she seemed to hear some noise from beneath her. She went to the hand rail and peeped down cautiously. There wasn't anybody to be seen or heard still. She went down the next stairs carefully, always pausing after a couple of steps.

Five steps before she had reached the second floor she was finally able to hear the noise again, this time it was louder. It sounded like voices, male voices.

_Bingo. This White guy's either stupid or very brave, does he really think I'd run away as soon as I was seeing him? Not even Lydecker was that naïve and he thought of me like… a daughter or something creepy like that._

Max approached the steel doors behind which she suspected the three men. She laid her ear at the door, trying to catch what they were exactly talking about.

"… she won't get through, because… I need her alive… she's… clever… she thinks… They don't… a chance. We'll… them back… Call the familiars… yes… Fen'os tol."

Max tried to make sense to the few words she understood, but there wasn't one. Especially the last word. "Fen'os tol" What the hell did that mean?

Suddenly Max heard footsteps approaching quickly on the other side of the door. She made a run for the stairs and hide behind a column. She pressed her back against the cold stone and tried to breathe evenly to not attract any attention. She had been taught well enough to keep her fear and temper and even her instincts under control in situations like these.

"You go downstairs and check there, I got two guys at the entrance already, I'll take the roof. Don't let them fool you." White ordered the other two men who said "yes sir" and stormed down the stairs to the next level.

_Oh no, this can't be good. But how does he know I'm here? I haven't seen a freaking person in the side road. Maybe cameras in the building, security or something…_

Max quickly checked her surroundings for the traitorous cameras, while she was climbing up the stairs ducked so that White wasn't able to see her –yet. But there was none camera to be seen.

_Of course, if there were some he wouldn't have sent these guys downstairs. Damn, what's wrong with me today?  
_To Max's bad luck White wasn't even as much as checking the rooms on the other levels, instead he went straight to the roof, always a half level behind Max, so that she was just able to not be seen by him. The problem was, that Max knew she couldn't hide in one of the rooms, first because it was too risky, what if White decided to check the rooms just to be sure after all? And second because the roof was her only way to escape without having the sector police or worse guys on her tails.

"I know your up there, X5-452. I don't know who's the guy who's with your, or if he even is, but I know that you're somewhere up there. And I'll find you sooner or later, that's a promise and I keep my word – always. So why don't you just come down here and we have a little talk?" White called out while he was slowly increasing his tempo. Max didn't bother to answer and climbed upstairs faster instead. She'd rather kick her own ass than come to this weirdo. He was either plain dumb or damn clever. She wasn't too excited to find it out through, because either she was way stronger than him or he had something that would make him win. Way too risky for her taste.

Sooner than she liked Max reached the door which had "Roof Access" printed all over it. She opened it without a sound and sneaked out. But still, although she could breathe in the fresh and promising air, she couldn't help but feel like she was going straight into a trap. White's trap. She had a bad feeling, like she was doing exactly what he wanted and that was real creepy.

Before she had hidden herself well enough suddenly the door opened once again and White stormed out, looking pretty angry, or annoyed, or something. Max was stunned but didn't show it. She had calculated that she still had time before he'd reach the roof, even if he had been running faster than normal for humans. Something was wrong with this guy and she didn't like it at all.

When White saw her, he grinned his shark-grin, and the words "evil" and "dangerous" seemed to be written all over his face. And something that looked like… anticipation?

"So I guess you found me. Said you wanted to chat?" Max commented while she was thinking on high speed.

"Yeah, I wanted. Now that I had to come after you, I lost my mood for talking. Let's play a little." White said still grinning and suddenly he was attacking her.

Max was defending herself and blocked all his kicks and punches, but what worried her was the strength with which he was fighting. This wasn't normal, especially since he didn't seem to get tired. And on top of all he even blocked all of Max's moves too. It was like fighting against a machine, he always knew what to do. Even if she managed to get through his defenses and hit him hard enough to knock out every normal guy, he wasn't hurt that much, barely enough to stop attacking her for a few seconds.

With the time going by Max was growing tired, she felt like they had been fighting for about half an hour, plus she was getting kind of nervous, since back-up in form of White's other men couldn't be that far away.

"Getting tired already, 452? You're disappointing me. I was hoping for more from the chosen one." White told her sneering. "And you were supposed to break us? To not only fight but beat us?"

"What the hell are you talking about, son of a bitch?" Max asked between two kicks.

"You don't even know, do you? You don't know nothing. But I guess that just proves me right. You're weak, you and the rest of you, you're all weak. Like the other humans. You're nothing to me. Sanderman was wrong and a fool. And I'll prove that with your death." White continued as if Max hadn't said anything. It was like he was talking more to himself than to Max.

"I don't know who you're fucking talking about, but before you'll watch me die, I'd like to have a say in it."

"Too bad that you don't."

"We'll see about that- shit!" Max cursed when White hit her with some long iron bar he must have grabbed from somewhere around them. She wanted to punch his cocky face, but she suddenly felt her knee giving in after he had hit her pretty hard. She fell backwards to the ground and some little stones bored through her clothes and cut her skin. It wasn't feeling very good, especially since Max feared that this time she wouldn't get away that easily, not with this freak.

"Sadly, I have to kill you. I'd rather have some fun with you first, but I was taught to never mix pleasure with duty. You know, you're not such stupid girl for a normal human, it's actually kind of a waste." White talked nearly friendly while he was standing next to her, the iron bar rised above his head reading to jab Max and end her life for good, since this time there wouldn't be any other X-5s to give her their organs.

"Don't you dare to touch my girl, freak!" Someone yelled and Max's heart nearly skipped a beat when she recognized the voice. It wasn't over yet. Moments later someone knocked White out from behind, before he even had a chance to turn around.

"Are you alright?"

Max looked up to her savior and smiled as an answer to his question. Now she was, although she knew she shouldn't feel alright right now, since she had nearly been beaten up by some human. Or not human, whatever.

"I'm fine, but we need to get out of here. Quickly."

* * *

As usual, please review, I can really use some things to cheer me up since now there are so many of this stupid tests and everything.

xoxo Kathy


	8. 8 Brand New And Ready To Kick Ass

Hey guys, sorry it took me soooo long to update. But I pretty much lost inspiration for this ff for a long time and then it took me some time to get back into it. This chapter isn't long, I know that, but it's at least something. I really hope I haven't lost all my faithful reviewers!

Just let me know if you want this to continue... If you do, I promise to update regulary! And I promise that the next update will be longer.

* * *

_**7. Brand New And Ready To Kick Ass**_

Ring. Ring. Max groaned and reached for her cell, her eyes still closed and her face pressed into the pillow. She had just gotten some sleep and it was rare that she was actually able to sleep. But the fight with White had totally exhausted her.

"What?" She asked harshly. Her voice filled with annoyance and exhaustion.

"Hey Max, it's me. I just wanted to give you a heads up about what I've found so far. Are you alright? You sound strange." Logan's familiar voice woke Max fully up and she sat up straight in the bed. This call had been the one she had been waiting for ever since Alec had rescued her from that bastard who had nearly killed her.

"I'm fine. I was just sleeping a little. But I'm awake now, so talk. What did you find?" Max inquired, feeling excited to hear what Logan possibly could have found. She had been thinking over the whole thing for hours and hadn't come up with a good explanation for White's abnormal power and skills.

"Ok. So I searched for "the familiars" and I went after a few other things you remembered from the conversation White had, that you overheard. It's hard to find anything about these guys, it's a top secret secret society. I found some stuff about incest and some kind of ancient breeding cult. They seem to have infiltrated just about every authority there is. I don't know what exactly they are standing for or whatever, but I can tell you one thing, these guys are not very funny but deadly serious. Stressing on the "deadly". " Logan summarized the results of his search. He had been working on the case ever since Max had called him and told him what had happened. And he had gotten more worried about Max by minute. He had read quite a few reports from anonymous sources, telling that these guys were monsters. And the fact that one of them alone had been able to beat up Max was pretty impressing too, to say the least.

"Yeah, that pretty much sounds like White. That guy would fit in the picture just perfect. Thanks for helping me on this Logan, I don't know what we'd do without you." Max told her former friend honestly. She was wondering how Logan was right now. Probably sitting all alone in his apartment in front of his many computers, talking into his phone while typing at the same time. Over the phone, without actually seeing him, it was easy to forget that he wasn't her Logan anymore. That he wasn't the nice, funny guy with a save-the-world-attitude. The one who would always believe in the good in people.

"No problem, Max. I'm always here for you." Logan answered and paused, obviously not knowing what to say next. Max stayed silent too, not sure how to take his words. She really felt bad about lying to him about the virus still being active.

"Uhm, so, when are you planning on leaving town? And do you already know how?" Logan asked after a while.

"No, we haven't figured that out yet. Though we'll probably have to wait until they are not pay as much attention anymore as they do now. That thing with White was really close, too close for my taste."

"What? You're actually afraid enough of something to be patient and wait?"Logan asked and chuckled at the mere thought, remembering how Max had once went to see that woman who had helped her escape from Manticore for the first time. Logan had told her that Lydecker was probably just waiting for her to show up, but Max had just ignored it and had gotten herself into quite a mess.

"Yeah, but don't tell anyone, wouldn't want my reputation to be ruined." Max grinned into the phone. She knew about what Logan was thinking and she remembered the incident too. She remembered how Logan had asked her to be patient and smart for once and she had just asked him "Now what would be the fun in that?".

"I won't. Though it would sure be fun... Kick-ass-Max isn't as tough as she likes to think."

"Don't forget who your talking too, I'm the enhanced killing machine, not you." Max threatened, but Logan could hear her smile over the phone. He imagined how she was lying in the hotel bed, smiling this beautiful smile that made her eyes sparkle.

"Yeah yeah, I heard that before." Logan replied, smiling too. He suddenly realized that he hadn't smiled like that for quite some time. He hadn't been so relaxed for a long time either.

Max chuckled and was still smiling. She had missed these conversation with Logan. Their easy banter that was so natural. She had wondered often while lying wide awake at night in her Manticore cell, what would have happened if she and Logan had fessed up to each other about their feelings earlier. They seemed to have wasted so much time on dancing around their feelings and in hindsight she couldn't remember the reasons anymore.

Suddenly Max realized that she was falling into old patterns again. She was with Alec now and they were only temporary in Seattle, she couldn't let herself get close to Logan again. She couldn't tell him the truth and there was no use in wondering about what could have been. She loved Alec, so why was she bantering with Logan?

"Uhm, yeah, well." Max said professionally, she cleared her throat and tried desperately to think of something casual to say and end the conversation. She had this feeling like she had done something wrong and felt strangely guilty, though she didn't know why. Because she had a nice conversation with Logan or because she was keeping the truth from him?

_Don't even go there, Max. It doesn't matter, you've done nothing wrong so stop being such a girl._

"I gotta go, I think I just heard Alec coming in. Call me when you've found out more, alright?" Max asked quickly. Logan said his goodbye and she hung up.

It wasn't more than a few minutes later that Max really did hear how the door to hers and Alec's room was opened and closed again. She sat up quickly and found herself looking at her boyfriend, Alec.

"Hey. I see you're finally awake. You've been out like forever, I was getting worried. For someone who claims that she doesn't sleep, you sure acted strangely out of character." Alec teased her lightly and sat down next to her at the edge of the bed.

"Yeah well, a girl can always change her mind, it's my prerogative." Max retorted smiling and leaned in to kiss Alec.

"I should wake you up more often. Too bad you only seem to sleep after someone beat you up." Alec mused with a smirk on his face after they broke apart. Max grinned and smacked him lightly. When she was with Alec and looked into his eyes, she didn't know anymore what she had even felt guilty for before. Or why she had been wondering about what could have been with Logan. She was happy with Alec, she loved him and he loved her. And together they'd make it through whatever else that White guy had planned for them.

"Did I already thank you for saving me?" Max asked in a low voice and pulled Alec slowly on top of her while lowering herself to the bed.

"Nope, you didn't." Alec whispered in her ear before he kissed her again passionately.

"I love you." Max said against his lips.

"I love you too."

---

Max walked into Jam Phony with a half-smile on her face, her hands in her pockets. She nodded at a few passing guys who were just leaving for another run. She smiled fully when they nodded back. She really had missed this place.

"Max? Is that you?" Normal asked and interrupted Max's happy moment.

"Hey Normal, yeah, it's me, I'm sorry it took me so long-" Max began and got slower by every word. She remembered too late that she had no idea just what exactly she should tell Normal or what he was already thinking. OC must have told him something about her whereabouts and it wouldn't help getting her job back if she now told him something entirely different.

"So it took you over a year to make it out of rehab or whatever you call that hospital you've supposedly have been in all this time because of something with your heart or whatever."Normal asked in his usual disbelieving, mocking tone.

_Something with my heart, yeah, I like it; it's not even too far from the truth actually. This is nearly too easy._

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry that my heart was in your way. But I'm back now with a brand new heart and it's ready to kick ass. I promise neither I nor my heart will cause you anymore problems." Max said sarcastically, smiling with big and innocent eyes. Seeing how Normal grew quickly uncomfortable under her fixating stare and Max knew that her genetic X5-beauty wasn't exactly making it easier for poor Normal.

_Poor, right. That guy's a little tyrant and there's nothing poor about him. I don't even know why I'm going willingly back under his regime, but I guess some people just don't know what's best for them._

"Well I don't know what-" Normal began but was interrupted by a scream that would have been perfectly fitting for a female, but not for Sketchy.

"Max, you're back! And alive too! That's so great, I really really missed you. We all did!" He cried and hugged Max tightly. The latter was surprised but began to hug him back after the first shock had worn off.

OC appeared next to Normal and smiled knowingly at Max who was looking somewhat out of place. She then turned to Normal and said with a sweet smile:

"Well, now that it seems like Max has survived and recovered from her heart transplantation we'll surely all welcome her back and be happy that she's alright, right?"

"Ehm, yeah, sure, I guess so." Normal stuttered under OC's determined look. "Grab a package and get lost, before I change my mind again!" He added, adressing Max while throwing a little package her way. "And don't you dare getting some kind of transplantation again, there are a million girls like you out there that would kill for this job!"

Max mockingly saluted at his back and then grinned at OC and Sketchy. It was good to be back, even if it was just temporary.


End file.
